The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-09-21
lMPOTENT WRATH.
An Episode Due to the Disloyal Talk OF
Tuttle and Foraker.

IMPOTENT WRATH.
An Episode Due to the Disloyal Talk OF
futile and Foraker.
A Wheeling editsr, during the recent
meeting of the Grand Army of West
Virginia, flung to the breeze banner
with the pious motto: "God bless our
President, Commander-in-Chief of the
army and the navy"
The loyal if perfervid sentiment. ac-
companied by what passed for por-
trait of the present Chief Magistrate,
was the signal for rebellion upon the
part of certain Foraker-led members
of the Grand Army who were parading
the streets. To avoid passing under
the Haunting banner they executed a
flank movement, and the better to en-
phasize their dissent from the PROPOSE
ton that the President be blessed they
trailed the colors which they had
sworn by the God of Battles should
never mingle with the dust. Other
marching hosts having it may be
fancied, different party associations,
pressed straight on, lifting their he'll
NETS in token of loyalty under the
counterfeit, the very poor counterfeit,
no doubt, of the President of the
United States.
The episode is distinctly disgraceful,
yet it would serve little purpose to
waste epithets upon its blameworthy
actors, for manifestly it but anticipates
the inevitable in Presidential cam
paign precipitated by the particular
politicians who profess themselves
guardians-in-chief of veteran interests.
An organization designed for beneh-
cent ends, social and benevolent, be-
comes. under the leadership of self
seekers, arrampant propaganda of par
tisan aims. The better to assure as
tendency over the membership the
directory does not hesitate to appeal to
sordid and degrading passions by
promise of general aid to every soldier
regardless of the length or merit of his
service. Unmindful of the fact that,
as in duty bound, the President has
given full effect to liberal pension laws,
he is charged by the manipulators OF
the organization as a foe to veterans
Self-respecting members of the Grand
! Army of the Republic, whatever their
political utilization, may resent the OBJ
vious making of the organization a
cat's-paw to rake politicians chest
nuts from the fire, but the fact remains
that as an organization west of the
Ohio the army is in the grip of office
hunters using it for their own ends.
The episode at Wheeling was the out
come of futile preachments. and is
the forerunner of the noisier demon
STATIONS of detestation of the Presi'
dent which will be made feature OF
the campaign next year.
Adler manipulation of this class
mere fragment, by the way, Of tho
great body of electors, who are in
clined TO honor the veteran only as III
respects himself-would have maneu'
vered to assign a more respectable
. motive for opposition to the Presiden
than his veto of a pension measure
3 The present management has sue
Q ceeded in giving the petulant exhibi
| tions of hatred for ve:oing Presi
dent the aspect of malignancy from
r baffled mendicants. To this ignobl
: pass mischievous political manage
+ ment has led the Grand Army. From
n ignominy such as this the organiza
L ton, if it possess the strength it claims
1 may find relief by entering polite
g with vengeance. Three years agt
g some of its members proposed tn
f nomination Of one of themselves TO
: the Presidency. The plan wa
Q thwarted. A civilian who, like Clevt
a land, had sent substitute to the wal
!. became the nominee of the party wit
e which the bulk of the Grand Arm
II membership allies itself. If the
e would now demonstrate power
is make and unmake Presidents, to |
p masters in politics instead of tool
o they may inspire a respect which the
II present subserviency to tuppen
is schemers forbids by compelling tt
Y party of their choice to make a vetera
n its candidate. There would be viri
# force in such a programme. Whe
10 they will have made candidate
their own they may have more hea
in assailing Cleveland. and, possibly,
better method than the impotent al
ID puerile demonstration at Wheeling.
n, Chicago Herald.